Cleaning existing liquid dispenser pinch valves often requires that the entire assembly of the pinch valve be taken apart, using tools to remove fasteners, prior to cleaning. This requires time, tools, training, and tracking of the fasteners so they do not get lost. As such, the liquid dispensers can experience considerable downtime, which can result, for example, in coffee shops, in customers desiring cream dispensed in their coffee, to wait longer than necessary.
Additionally, is some instances, existing pinch valves can be prone, when in their open configuration, to being damaged either by the door of the liquid dispenser to which the pinch valve is connected, or by the flexible plastic bag containing milk or cream that is loaded into the liquid dispenser.
Further, existing pinch valves do not allow easy and quick removal/insertion of dispensing tubes when removing a spent liquid container from a liquid-dispensing machine and installing a replacement liquid container.
Further, existing pinch valves often lack suitable control of the volume of liquid being dispensed.
Therefore, improvements in pinch valves are desirable.